St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-04-16
NOTES ON ETIQUETTE.


How You Can Make Yourself Popular viii
Friends and Strangers.
When you are invited to dine at tn
house of friend or acquaintance, it i
not considered good form to reply tina
you would enjoy it above all things
but. unfortunately, you are very hun
cry and do not see how you can posi-
bly, accommodate him. At all events
never make matters worse by adding
that You will be pleased to come some
other time-on Fast Day. for instance,
On being asked to stake something
whatever that may mean, it is hardly
proper to inform the inviter that your
stomach has some rights which you are
bound to respect, and If it is all the
same to him. you will take as an equiv
alent the money which the ''sOme.
thing" would cost
As the generality of mankind stands
in pressing need of exercise. it is duty
you owe to society to furnish others
with all the exercise you can possibly
vouchsafe to them. Hence, when walk
ing the streets, trail your cane or um-
brella. SO that the man behind you shall
be kept hopping and skipping about
like an insane kangaroo. in order to
keep himself from tripping over your
offensive weapon.
1t has been pointed out that the seats
in rail car are death-traps which have
fashion Of shutting up and holding
the occupant until the fire in the over
turned stove has time to cremate him
or her; consequently it will be seen
that you do a kindness to others. es-
pecially to women. by preventing them.
If possible. from obtaining seats. II
they are made to stand. of course they
escape the dangers incident to the per-
ilous seat. The knowledge of having
performed kind act always fills one
with supreme pleasure, especially when
he can contemplate his good act in .
comfortable position.
As it is very trying to ones eyes tc
read print in the cars, it is proper for
you to prevent your neighbor from in
juring his eyesight by reading his news
paper. Therefore put stop to his read
ing. either by talking to him continually
about something-no matter what. SO
that it interests yourself-or read to him
detached sentences and '.good things"
from your own paper. He may not
thank you; but what of that? Because
he is ungrateful. must you therefore
forget your duty to your fellow man?
When you are enjoying your cigar
alone, and a friend drops in tell him
yOu would ask him to smoke. but you
fear that the smoke of two such cigars
would suffocate both of you. Your
friend will greatly enjoy your pleas
antry, and he will also be happy because
Of the opportunity you have given him
to inform all his acquaintances. and all
yours. that you smoke mighty poor
cigars. Besides, you save cigar.
When one is telling you long ana
dry story about the way his housemaid
goes on. put on melancholy look and
put stop to his story at the earliest
convenient moment by asking him some
irrcvelant question. as. for example,
what he thinks of the late strike. what
his opinions are Of possible war in
Europe. or what are his views on white
mice or the eventual restoration Of the
Jews. Your dOleful face will show him
that YOU sympathizc deeply in his suf-
fcrings, and your clever turning Of the
subject of conversation will convince
him. il he had any doubts before. that
his story is too painful for you to listen
tO it.
When the shopman has given you too
much money in change. say nothing.
but put the money in your pocket. Il
is always mortifying to be told Of one 8
errors. Then it should be remembered
the opportunities Of being paid for ones
forbearance are too infrequent to be
neglected.
These are only few of the many nice
points of etiquette that might be men
toned; but they viii suffice to show
that one who knows nothing about eti-
quette can write as well upon that sub
Jet rs upon any other with which he is
equally unacqusinted.- Tran
scyipt.